Narrator's POV
After alighting from the train, someone noticed Yaagnar walking in the opposite direction of the crowd. Staggering into the forest, he intrigued him, especially with his short grey hair. He couldn't help but wonder if Yaagnar was that old. How could an old man pass the medical fitness exam? Unless he was one of those old men in mangas who were secretly powerful. If that were true, it would be wise to follow him!
He might know where to get bonded. He followed Yaagnar for what seemed like hours, but the grey-haired man showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.
"What the hell!" he muttered under his breath, clenching his teeth. 'Did he notice me tailing him and isolate me to use me as a sacrifice?' The thought sent shivers down his spine. If that was true, he had made a grave mistake. He stared at Yaagnar walking through the giant trees.
If he kept following him, he would pass out before bonding to anything, and that would spell his imminent death. There was no way he could walk himself back to the stop or climb the hill again. He had messed up.
He was startled when he heard Yaagnar scream. It was loud and raw. He could hear the strain in the scream affecting his vocal cords. What could have frustrated him so much that he needed to scream like that? He stared at Yaagnar and saw him make a half-turn, walking in his direction. Quickly, he leaned against a tree and listened to the approaching footsteps.
As he froze against the tree, an idea struck him. Maybe Yaagnar wasn't an applicant like him. With the stamina he demonstrated, he was surely an entity. If he hadn't found anything to bond with, maybe he could try capturing Yaagnar and forcing him into bonding.
His mother had given him an enchanted weapon—a dagger that never missed. Once locked onto a target, it wouldn't miss, even if the target moved. That's what his mom had told him, and he couldn't doubt her. She wouldn't lie about something so important.
He drew closer, taking larger steps with newfound determination. When he felt close enough, he threw the dagger with all his might, aiming at Yaagnar. The dagger left his hand, feeling so light it was as if he had wasted energy throwing a paperweight. As light as it was, he felt its speed—a sharp whooshing sound. The next thing he saw was the grey-haired man bending backward, his back nearly touching his heels.
Confused, he stared for a few seconds and noticed his dagger lodged in a tree trunk. He saw Yaagnar scanning the surroundings for the assailant.
'It's better I come forward rather than wait for him to find me,' he thought. 'He might spare me if I deliver myself. He seems patient.'
"Hold up, man! I just want to talk!" he shouted as he stepped forward. But as soon as Yaagnar heard his voice, he dashed away.
He grumbled, running to retrieve his dagger. It took both hands and great effort to pull it from the tree trunk. 'This dagger must be sharp to enter the bark so easily and then be this hard to pull out,' he thought.
After retrieving the dagger, he ran after Yaagnar, not realizing when he began climbing the hill in his pursuit.
"Just... wait... for... me!" he tried shouting amidst heavy breaths. But Yaagnar was too fast, and soon, he lost his trail. Frustrated but determined, he continued climbing the hill. The academy was beyond it, and the forest was eerily quiet.
Forests were supposed to be a little noisy with the sounds of nature, but this one was silent. He wouldn't have known this, as he'd never been to a forest before. Tired, hungry, and frustrated, he regretted running after Yaagnar. He should have climbed the hill when he still had strength. Now, he was so exhausted and hungry that he imagined just rolling back down the hill once he reached the top.
On his ascent, he heard a strange sound from a distance. He thought it best to ignore it, too frustrated to deal with anything else. But the sound persisted, drawing his attention.
From afar, he saw two figures under a tree. Once again, he marveled at how small humans seemed compared to the towering trees. One figure lay motionless against the tree, while the other crouched over it.
He couldn't make out what was happening, so he tiptoed closer. A chill ran down his spine, and goosebumps covered his body. Every instinct told him to run, but his curiosity wouldn't let him.
As he approached, he saw the grey-haired man lying lifeless against the tree. His eyes widened in fear, cold sweat covering his skin.
He had to get away!
Just then, a figure appeared before him. His pounding heart froze him in place. He wanted to say something, but his mouth refused to move. He couldn't tell if it was because of how beautiful the figure was or because of the sheer confusion of the situation.
The figure was tall, with thick curly hair and striking green eyes framed by long lashes. She was a sight to look upon and she had a very calm energy she gave off. She stared at him, and he was at a loss for words.
After a moment, seeing that she hadn't moved, he relaxed slightly but still watched her carefully. As he doubted her humanity given she had not blinked since they met- approximately three minutes ago.
"What is your name?" she asked, her melodious voice seeming almost inhuman.
"Gustov," he quickly replied, waiting for her response. She examined him from head to toe before turning back to Yaagnar, who lay motionless.
Gustov wanted to ask what was happening but knew better than to speak.
He reasoned that she and Yaagnar were one of the Entities that roamed the Valley of Shadows. If anything, he should try his possible best not to end on their bad side.